That was my first thought also — or some arrangement by which one set of gauges is visible from both sides of the firewall? A through-the-hood setup as on a number of '60s cars, with some kind of swivel mechanism? Something involving mirrors? Hmmmm ...
I've got no problem with them but I don't see where oil pressure and temp do you much good for tuning. Tach/dwell meter and a vacuum gauge would be handy.
in my case (in picture above) I was using those two gauges as place holders until I installed a tach and vacuum gauge. I found a 2-1/16" tach but not a sender/converter to work with the magneto and sold the car about the time I found a matching vacuum gauge. now there isn't enough room for any gauges in the firewall on the '23
I always liked 'em, (first saw them used in '52 when I was 10. One of the local older rodders had 3 in the firewall of his '32 roadster: Big flathead, dual carbs, finned heads. I figured something THAT hot needed 'em!)
I enjoy seeing the extras on a firewall,but I never had any on my own. Just not enough $$ for doing it. Latter on,after I started showing my cars in indoor car shows going into in the 1960s,there was a show point sheet given out> Some added stuff just too get the extra points , I didn't do that,seemed out of place an passed my $$$ anyway. Yes,I liked the trophys,but really liked the show atmosphere an those I met ,both other show car owners and fans that came.
Never thought about them enough to decide if I like them. Looking at the lit ones you showed, I think maybe I do. That looks pretty cool. And handy. Some redundant underhood gauges may not help with tuning... but they could help you to know if your main gauges might ever be lying to you.
A nagging vapor lock issue inspired me to take my one bay-mounted gauge (fuel pressure at the carbs) and relocate it to be driver line-of-sight. All of a sudden that gauge was… useful! It was quite educational to see what my fuel pressure was doing as I drove in different conditions. And now that I have an electric fuel pump, I can keep tabs on it while driving.
A friend of mine likes the speedometer idea, but he hasn't done it ... yet. I like the idea of an underhood fuel pressure gauge (working on it) and a firewall mounted dwell meter. Everything I own runs points so that would be a nice add on.
Damn straight. You need it for show points. I do not have any pics and I look at things differently perhaps than most. I think that firewall gauges for tuning is a good idea. I have often though that a fuel pressure gauge (electric with the sender right at the carb), a vacuum gauge, and I doubt that you could find one but if you were running a Chevy with a window distributor a dwell gauge would be a real benefit. Perhaps a small tach. Like I said I look at things differently, kind of form follows function and those would make a good tuning aid. All that said I have always thought that firewall gauges were cool
Well, while you can't really do any actual tuning with the OP and Temp gauges, when starting a new engine for the first time for break-in and such, they can be very handy, so you don't have to keep running around to look at the gauges in the dashboard, to make sure you have oil pressure and are not overheating.
No pics, but I have it planned for my project. Even have the extra gauges. Was only planning vacuum and tach for tuning purposes.
Firewall gauges can be practical, and also be taken to beautiful, sweet over-the-top excess. I tried to find that balance between too-much and way too-much Anyway, it's all about TRUNK GAUGES!
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